


things we lost in the fire

by doubleblind



Category: Free!
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 03:25:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doubleblind/pseuds/doubleblind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru made the wrong choice five years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	things we lost in the fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [victortrevored](https://archiveofourown.org/users/victortrevored/gifts).



At the end of the interview, the smiling manager takes him on a tour of the facilities. The front end is where he'll be working at a computer in a small cubicle as an assistant financial officer. There are still thumbtacks in the felt wall and rings of coffee on the bare desk from the last person who had worked here. The computer looks like it's at least a few years out of date.

"We might have to get you a new computer," the manager says as she spins on her heel and starts walking towards the back, "I'm sure one of the scientists might have a newer machine that they don't use any more. We just haven't had a new hire on the front end in so long."

The hallway she leads him down smells like bleach. "Our team is probably out in the field right now," she says as she opens doors to peer into the labspace, "But I'm sure you'll eventually meet all of them when they come back for lunch. We don't have a very large team here--ah, Mako."

She steps to the side and Haru peers into the room with a polite smile. The last person he expects to see is his ex-best friend.

\----

Mako hasn't changed all that much in the five years since Haru had last seen him. His hair is shorter but he still has the same perpetual faint smile and loping ease. He tilts his head back to take a drink of his beer and Haru looks over his shoulder at the television in the corner of the bar. It's playing some talk show that he's never seen before.

"So," Mako says as he sets his bottle down. "You went into finance." 

Haru nods.

They look at each other. Haru wants to fill up the silence but he's never been good at small talk. He remembers when the silence used to be comfortable.

"How's Rin?"

Haru's hands slide off the table and he looks away. Should he lie? But he's never been able to lie to Mako before. Despite the time that they've spent apart, he's sure that Mako would catch him. "We broke up." he licks his lips. "Sophomore year."

"Oh," Mako says, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Haru isn't so sure about that. But at the same time he's berating himself for thinking that way because Mako's probably moved on by now.

\----

In Haru's fourth week at his new job, Mako asks him if he'd like to come out into the field with him.

"Just a two hour excursion or so," Mako says, "Just to see what you've been auditing the last few weeks."

Haru looks at his spreadsheets of lab equipment and diesel oil and thinks that he has a pretty solid grasp on how the operation is run. But Mako's got a bit of dried seaweed stuck to the side of his neck and he's smiling at Haru so Haru thinks why the hell not and powers his laptop down.

\----

Haru feels ridiculous for wearing a suit while paddling out into the open ocean. His jacket is on the wooden bench next to him and he's got his shirt sleeves rolled up as he pulls on the oars. There's a little bit of water at the bottom of the boat and it's getting into his expensive leather shoes but he really doesn't mind.

Because Mako is leaning out over the edge, catching water samples in fifty ml conical tubes as they go along--and Haru is content with watching the side of his face as he tells Haru what he's doing and what tests he's going to run on them when they get back and how much amazing work the team has done already.

They hang out on the waves for a while so that Mako can organize his samples. Haru looks up at the clear sky and tries to trick himself into thinking that he's seventeen again. Mako asks, "Okay there, Haru?" and takes the oars from his hands. 

Mako paddles the way back. Haru watches the smooth movements of his wrists and tries to decide if he deserves this second chance.

\----

"You've changed a lot," Mako tells him when they're eating lunch together with their legs dangling over the edge of the pier. Haru watches a small crab scuttle quickly into deeper waters and stifles the urge to laugh.

Mako doesn't even know that he stopped swimming.

\----

Haru has a one room apartment in the basement of a home owned by an elderly couple. The bathroom smells a little damp at times and the rose bushes in the garden near the basement door makes him sneeze but the job is temporary and he'll be moving out before the end of the year.

Mako stops by in the morning so that they can walk to work together. Haru starts brewing enough coffee for two so that he has something to offer Mako while he waits for Haru to finish dressing or to fish out all of the handwritten expense reports he'd somehow manage to lose to the couch cushions.

Mako leans against his kitchen counter and sips at the hot coffee, telling Haru the weather forecast for the day. It'll be cloudy in the morning with chance of rain in the afternoon. Not ideal conditions but there's always more data to collect.

"Be careful," Haru says. He says it too seriously but he's always serious. Mako gives him a sideways glance as they head out on their half-mile trek to the institute. Haru keeps his eyes fixed on the road.

\----

"Are you free this weekend?" Mako asks as they get back in from lunch.

Haru's not good at making friends and the only person he knows in this small town is Mako. He spends most of his free time working, even though it means finishing the project faster.

"Let's go swimming," Mako suggests, "There's a nice island about a quarter of a mile out. You've seen it. The one with the lighthouse."

Haru doesn't say anything. Mako's face begins to fall.

"I don't--" Haru says and then stops.

"Okay," Mako says quickly. He smiles. "No problem. I'll talk to you later."

\----

It's nearly midnight but Haru's still up. He's not even working any more, just looking at his computer screen with his eyes out of focus.

There's a knock on his door. Haru blinks back into alertness.

"Hi," Mako says when Haru opens the door. "Come with me."

\----

The half moon is mostly hidden behind a swath of clouds but there's still enough light to see. Haru's rolled his pants up halfway up his calves and he's about as far as he can go into the water without getting his clothes wet.

Mako's wearing his swimming trunks. He's a little farther into the water.

"Just take them off," Mako calls back, "You have to see this."

"I don't know," Haru says.

Mako starts to run--the water churns in his wake. It glows and slowly dissipates. Mako laughs and starts to splash water in Haru's direction. Water hits water in a burst of pale blue. Haru smiles.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mako says as he nears Haru, fingers dragging through the water. Haru watches the light swirl behind Mako, like the trail of a comet.

Mako stops next to Haru. He's shivering. Haru wants to reach out and pull him closer but he doesn't.

"How come you don't swim any more?" Mako asks.

Haru shrugs.

"Does it have to do with Rin?"

Haru dips his hands into the water, making tiny splashes to see if he can create any light. Mako falls silent, just looking at him.

Haru looks back at Mako, catching the half turned profile for just a moment before he's running right at the waves. He dives into the ocean and hears Mako's surprised yell just before he sinks into the water. 

A million sea creatures light up around him.

\----

Mako stands at his doorway with the sunrise coming up over his shoulder.

"Hi," he says, "I brought you some breakfast. Thought you could use something other than coffee."

Haru's still barefoot with his tie hanging around his shoulders and yesterday's spreadsheets scattered over the coffee table. It only takes a moment to decide--and then he's leaning up with his hand at the back of Mako's neck, dry lips against Mako's mouth.

\----

"After you," Mako says, smiling.

Haru slips off the dock into the water. His legs start kicking, running on muscle memory. He's forgotten how weightless it feels.

A splash behind him tells him that Mako's entered the water too. The horizon ahead is open air.

"Ready?" Mako asks.

Haru reaches forward. He's smiling before he knows it--and then he's swimming free.


End file.
